A recent article regarding the Drug Enforcement Administration requesting interpreters of "ebonics" caused a stir in the community. If the focus shifted to the fundamental flaws of the language argument, and to the legitimacy of successful communication across cultures, the issue would be less inflammatory and more unifying.
The need for assistance to accurately understand what has been described as "a combination of English vocabulary and African language structure" and labeled as "ebonics" is valid on its face for the purposes that the DEA proposes. A real need exists to correctly understand conversations that do not follow the standard rules of English.
The real issue is the methodology and presentation the DEA used in soliciting potential employees, and perhaps the job description and job title. If the DEA states that it needs ebonics translators, the inference is drawn that ebonics is a language.
If taken further, it can be assumed that there are people who are officially, competently and certifiably trained to translate or interpret ebonics, which in is nothing more than a buzzword to describe a social phenomenon that has proven to be politically, emotionally and racially controversial. I don't think it is racist to voice the need for assistance in understanding a verbal manipulation of the English language.
Some people do speak a manipulated version of English, and if the majority of those people happen to be African-American, it is still not racist unless they are being somehow penalized for speaking in such a manner. It is simply a cultural diversity issue that needs to be addressed to establish unity and some kind of identification across cultural barriers -- but that does not equate to racism or discrimination.
Because I do care a great deal about preserving the integrity of the English language, both spoken and written, my concern is that educated and influential U.S. citizens are failing to recognize the difference between cultural issues and language issues.
Jennifer Harris
Augusta
Who's in charge of the DEA anyhow? I have no idea what "ebonic" is, but I hear that it changes with the tides.
Hmm. An Augusta gas station has a big sign that proudly says "Our gas contains none ethanol." The SC driver's license exam is so poorly written, with so many grammatical errors, that some of the questions don't even make sense. I truly don't think that ebonics is the only threat to the so-called purity of the English language. Give it a rest.
So are ye fer it or agin it? Hard to tell by the LTE.
All you back up in there don't talk right nohow. This woman trouble is she think too much. She need herself a Xanax.
Who was that women in the movie Airplane. She did a nice job of translation. Find her.
The Gullah and Geechee are dialects just as is the Cajun dialect. The are blends of various languages and colloquial pronunciations.
Ebonics is the name given to the street language developed by the subsidy subculture created by our federal government. It is derived mostly from the English spoken in America and the mispronunciations and misunderstandings of the subculture. These misunderstandings are drawn from phrases heard in movies, songs, commercials, conversations between intelligent people. Often, the language contains a lot of repetition of comments so the people being spoken to can grasp the concept trying to be portrayed. The excellent communication systems in this country has allowed a homogenization across the metro areas of the nation so a member of the L.A. subculture can travel to Detroit or D.C. and still be understood.
It behooves the DEA and other law enforcement agencies to have interpreters to help decipher.
Of course, this situation wouldn't exist without the multiple subsidy programs that have replaced education and self-worth with a government check.
Ebonics and Gullah are 2 different things entirely! Gullah is actually a language, Ebonics is a larger version of a made up kids language one has to learn if he is going to be in a "club".
Ebonics is different, depending on where you live, and those who speak it can understand English anyway, so they do not really need an interpreter.
What they need is a little education - but as much as the administration (not only this one) talk about how important education is in America, they refuse to support it financially.
Here in Richmond County, students have to leave most their textbooks in the classroom because the district does not have enough money to buy enough for them to each have one. This makes any study outside of class difficult to impossible, and they wonder why the poor little critters cannot speak proper English!
Jennifer, you will now be labeled a racist by RCR, Ispy and the rest. You cannot tell the truth on a subjet like this . I'm surprised the AC even published the LTE. You may get a abuse letter later and they may pull the LTE. You're not allowed to tell the truth when it comes to blacks.
Some of the schools teachers don't. or can't, speak proper English. Are they speaking ebonics?
Years ago, a prostitute lived in our apartment building, she and her friend spoke what she called pig latin. Is that the same as ebonics.
I guess if you've got something to hide, then you find a way.
maggiemae, how long before 1950 were you born, if I may be so bold?
Maggiemae did ya ever live in the Maxwell House...just kidding..
I understand Gullah & Geechee & even think it is a pleasant sound but ebonic slang changes with the wind...something they really don't want "others" to get.
Cliff....you kinda show your age on here too. I would say b4 1950 big boy.
This is funny as shi'ites. Pidgin in Hawaii gets as diverse an uproar there, and Spanglish is growing in familiarity across the country. I personally enjoy dialects and alternate usage because when you learn to understand the speaker how they employ words illuminates more explicitly how they understand the words. It is a rare insight that you usually don't see speaking a language properly.
Press 1 for English. Press 2 for English. Press 3 for English.
All others living here. Learn the language.
This is America. We speak English here. Get over it.
(1943 for me)
I loved that old lady in "Airplane" who interpreted "jive"! Remember the subtitles that they ran under her dialogue with the two guys?
Rhetor - Actually it says "Our gas contain none ethanol," not "contains," giving them two errors in just five words! My 10-year-old corrected the sign right away when I asked him what was wrong with it!
Apex 24, why you bring up race almost everyday?? It's the year 2010 and you can find any race where young people use ebonics...
Airplane Video - jive talk. It's Mrs. Cleaver from Leave it to Beaver.
Know why when Mike Vick played for the Falcons that he NEVER gave a post game interview??? Ya no wa i sain??
While I am a pedant about language, the letter writers misses the point. The DEA needs people to understand this "language" in order to listen in on wiretaps and therefore fight crime. The subtleties of the English language, I daresay, would be lost on those to whom the DEA is listening, drug dealers not being the most cultured among us!
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